Read the sequence from the top before cutting, painting, or moving pieces.
Valentine’s Day can sometimes be more trouble than it’s worth when it comes to finding a good restaurant. Everything is crowded, noisy, and wait times can be lengthy! Take a break from the mayhem this V-day and instead spend a romantic evening at home preparing and eating one of these eight classic but direct Valentine’s Day dinners. Each one has less than ten ingredients (give or take a spice), all of them straightforward to find in your local grocery store. And with short cook times, you’ll have plenty of your evening left for more romantic endeavors!
Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta
Seafood always makes for a classy dinner, and this creamy pasta recipe will hit the spot for any pasta-lover. The recipe uses refrigerated linguine, but a dry pasta of your choice works too – just cook it as directed and add your shrimp to the pot in the last 3-4 minutes.
Oven-Baked Chicken Parmesan
Using shortcuts like Italian seasoning and a store-bought sauce make this special dish quick and straightforward without sacrificing taste. A crispy artisan bread and a roasted vegetable or two will round things out nicely.
Maple Glazed Salmon
This direct salmon is well fitted for a meal that fills you up without leaving you feeling bloated the rest of the evening – because there’s nothing that kills romance quite so quick!. You can choose to make the pickled vegetables or leave them out, but they do make a nice addition to this dinner!
Seared Steak with Onions and Gorgonzola
A steak can make for an especially decadent meal, especially with additions like caramelized onions and gorgonzola! Follow this direct guide to get the well fitted steak at your desired “doneness.”
Oven-Baked Fajitas
If you enjoy Latin flavors there’s nothing better than the sizzle of a fajita! This recipe makes it straightforward to get your fajitas on the table by baking your meat and vegetables. You can stick with chicken or get even fancier by using steak! Serve it up with corn or flour tortillas and a little salsa and sour cream.
Chicken Cordon Bleu
A crisp layer on the outside and a melty cheese center make chicken cordon bleu a go-to romantic dinner. Keep things straightforward using boxed bread crumbs and cutting chicken breasts in half before pounding them thin.
Pork Tenderloin
A special cut of meat makes any dish more fantastic, and a seasoned rub will ensure yours is packed with flavor. Serve it with vegetables and a baked or mashed potato and gravy for a full plate.
Vegetarian Lasagna
For the vegetarian couple (or a couple looking to be more health conscious), this vegetarian lasagna is a great Valentine’s dinner. Mushrooms, zucchini, and spinach add textures and flavors even a meat-lover could appreciate.
Featured image via Health Magazine.
Kayla Lilly is a photographer, writer, wife, and mama making a house a home in eastern Idaho. She met her mister while working at an amusement park and married him a year later after deciding there was no way to live without him. The amusement has continued as they’ve added three kids and a passel of pets to their lives while finishing college and starting a photography business. Drawing inspiration from the whirlwinds of marriage, parenthood, and the media, Kayla blogs at Utterly Inexperienced, and spends the rest of her time chasing chickens, organizing junk drawers, diapering toddlers, and photographing everyone willing to step in front of her lens.
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